Aaron Youger (right) will play for Ferencvaros Photo: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

Between the end of the clubs’ competitions season and the start of major tournaments for national teams, the most interesting topics, are, as usual, transfers.

Pro Recco

Vladimir Vujasinovic isn’t head coach of Pro Recco anymore. Vujasinovic, the honorary mayor of the municipality of Recco, didn’t successfully completed its mission on the bench of the Italian champion, because Recco hasn’t won the title of the European champion. He came to Recco as a coach in 2016 (he played in the Genoa-based club for years). In the past two seasons, the club won two national titles and two Italian Cups, but in the Champions League, the club didn’t clinch the trophy. Last year Recco took the bronze medal. Previous weekend the Italian champions were defeated by Olympiacos in front of their fans in the Scrioba swimming center.

Recco still hasn’t chosen a new coach. The Italian media write that Vujasinovic’s successor could be Ratko Rudic, the most decorated water polo coach in the world. But, the Croat is 70-years old. He said that he was not interested for the job (I’m just a pensioner, he said), but everything is still open. According to the Italian media, in the circle of the candidates are two former head coaches of the national team of Montenegro: Petar Porobic (a head coach of China) and Ranko Perovic, who played for Recco.

The champion of Italy still hasn’t announced names of new players, but on the way toward Recco are Marko Bijac, a goalkeeper of the national team of Croatia, Italian Vincenzo Renzuto Iodice (both from Jug), Alessandro Velloto (Canottieri Naples) and Konstantinos Mourikis, a center-forward of new European champion Olympiacos.

Hungary

Zivko Gocic Photo: vizilabda-szolnok.hu (click to enlarge)

Former European champion Szolnok, which didn’t defend the national title and took the 5h place in the CHL, also replaced a coach. The club didn’t extend the contract with Sandor Cseh. He was replaced by 2016 Olympic champion Zivko Gocic. The Serb, who played for Szolnok since 2012, retired and became the head coach of the 1st team. In the past few days, three new players signed deals with Szolnok: Daniel Angyal ( came from Eger) and Serbs Djordje Lazic (from Partizan) and Viktor Rasovic (Jug, Croatia).

LEN Euro Cup winner Ferencvaros, which won the Hungarian championship for the first time since 1992, has big ambitions in the 2018/19 season. The Budapest-based club already promoted four big reinforcements: Australian Aaron Younger (came from Szolnok) and three experienced Hungarian players: Miklos Gor-Nagy (OSC), Tamas Mezei (Szolnok) and Mark Kallay, who was a captain of DVSE Debrecen until this summer.

Two big Ferencvaros’s stars ended careers. Norbert Madaras became the president of the club, while Danial Varga will work as a head coach of Ferencvaros junior team.

Kristian Manhercz left the club, he will move to OSC. An important OSC’s reinforcement is a goalkeeper of the national team of Serbia Branislav Mitrovic, who has played in Hungary since 2010 (in Ferencvaros 2010-11, DVSE Debrecen2011-2014, Eger 2014 – 18).

Balkans

European champion Olympiacos found a replacement for Mourikis. His successor will be French Nicolas Constantin-Bicari, a 27-year-old French, who is coming from Marseille. It’s almost sure that Croat Andro Buslje will leave the club.

New Jug‘s additions are Alexandros Papanastasiou, a 19-year-old Greek, who played for Glyfada, and Russian Danel Merkulov (21 years). He was the third-best scorer of the 2017/18 Champions League, as a player of Jadran Herceg Novi.

Champion of Serbia Partizan has to compose a new squad as well as in the previous few seasons. For now, four young players left the club: center-forwards Djordje Lazic (Szolnok), Marko Manojlovic (Szentes), goalkeeper Dimitrije Risticevic and Filip Jankovic (both Catania).

WaterPology.com is the ultimate resource for all water polo players, coaches, and fans. With authors from around the world, we provide you with all on top water polo from Europe, to the Americas, Australia and back. Follow our social media accounts to not miss the latest updates.